'I completely blew it' - Wu into final as Allen misses simple black to win

Mark Allen suffers a devastating final-frame World Championship semi-final defeat by Wu Yize - after missing a simple match-winning black to win. By Steve Sutcliffe BBC Sport Journalist at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Updated 4 hours ago Mark Allen suffered a devastating final-frame defeat by Wu Yize - missing a match-winning black off its spot in an extraordinary penultimate frame that would have taken him into his first World Championship final. It was a heartbreaking conclusion for Allen, who broke down on 45 in the 31st frame and then somehow lost a nerve-shredding 32nd frame when he missed a simple black to win as the weight of pressure told. I always fancy myself under pressure, but I didn't cope with it today," Allen told BBC Sport. "When you miss a black like that you don't deserve to win.

I had more than enough chances to win it. "I think he's going to be world champion. Even though I'm devastated to lose that match, I think the right person is in the final." Wu will now face England's Shaun Murphy in the showpiece match, which begins on Sunday at 13:00 BST. Six-time world champion Steve Davis and 2024 winner Kyren Wilson - working as studio pundits on BBC Two - had their heads in their hands as they tried to make sense of Allen's incomprehensible miss. "I feel for Mark Allen and I know what he is going through.

"Look at the bridge Mark Allen has got there. And judging by the manner he advanced past Peifan Lei, Mark Selby, Hossein Vafaei and now Allen, he looks ready follow to in the footsteps of last year's champion Zhao Xintong - having been tipped as a future world champion by both Ronnie O'Sullivan and Murphy. "I felt like I was losing the match, especially the second black in that frame. I want to give my best efforts and everything I have got to try to win the World Championship." For most of the evening Allen had held himself together across several captivating frames, which never threatened to teeter towards Friday's gruelling second session between the pair - which produced the longest frame ever played at the sport's most famous venue. Allen regained the initiative with a composed 65, and when Wu missed a red to the left middle while on 58, it allowed his opponent to deliver a devastating riposte to move 16-14 up.

But with the winning line in sight Allen twitched on a red to the middle in the following frame to set in chain a remarkable sequence of events. Northern Irishman Allen had been aiming to become the oldest first-time finalist in Crucible history, having lost in the semi-finals twice previously. However, at the age of 40 and with 20 failed attempts to win snooker's greatest prize behind him, he may now be left wondering whether his time will ever come. Murphy had earlier powered to a 17-15 victory over John Higgins to reach his fifth Crucible final. I was in a match with John, four sessions, a world semi-final, it does not get much more difficult than that," Murphy said.

Higgins, who turns 51 later this month and was hoping to become the oldest ever finalist, took a scrappy 27th frame and then crafted an 88 break. Higgins failed to cut a red into the left corner pocket and Murphy missed a blue into the top-right corner in the 31st frame that eventually went the way of the 2005 winner. In a tense 32nd frame, Higgins broke down on 50 and Murphy missed a red with the rest before he secured his place in snooker's most prestigious match. Mark Allen suffers a devastating final-frame World Championship semi-final defeat by Wu Yize - after missing a simple match-winning black to win. 'I completely blew it' - Wu into final as Allen misses simple black to win